Chicory: A Colorful Tale Reviews
As I approached the end of Chicory, wiping tears out of my eyes and grinning like a fool, it became immediately apparent that this game had broken through as one of those special games. As one of my favorites of all time. At some point, I knew where Chicory would rank in my books, and it blew me away. I didn't think we'd get here so soon, but . . .
Chicory: A Colorful Tale has you revitalise a colourless world. But that task comes with more existential dread than you might think.
I’ve had Chicory: A Colorful Tale sitting in my Steam wishlist for quite a while, after seeing it come up on Twitter. What caught my eye was the illustrated animal characters and the focus on painting powers, seeing as I like to illustrate myself. Not wanting to spoil any more of the game, I added it to my wishlist in the hopes of returning to it when I had the money.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is simply beautiful, free and customizable. It is a unique game where you and your creativity are protagonists, modelers and recipients.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Video games don't get much more heartwarming than Chicory: A Colorful Tale with its beautifully-interwoven gameplay and story.
If you like the idea of an open world adventure filled with wonderfully written characters, engaging puzzles and a heart-warming story, don’t hesitate to give Chicory: A Colorful Tale a try. It’s so much more than “a game you colour in yourself”; it’s a journey filled with heart and soul. It isn’t free of frustrations, but they’re easily forgiven thanks to just how charming and wonderfully unusual this adventure is.
The soundtrack is stellar and completes the package on display here. It's a game that can be enjoyed for all ages and if you decide to pursue all the sidequests, complete the decorating minigames, and find all of the collectibles, you can certainly spend a lot of time in the world of Chicory. My only gripe is a personal one-that I didn't play this game last year-because without a doubt it makes for a wonderful late addition to the best of what 2021 had to offer. I cannot wait to see what Greg, Lena, Em, Alexis and Madeline will make next, because Chicory can't be described as anything other than a piece of modern art.
We need more games like Chicory in our lives.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Chicory is a wonderful, creative outing that is as grounding as it is it bursting with charm.
The world is your oyster - or rather, your canvas - in the charming and expressive adventure, Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Paint the world in the colors of your choosing and solve the mystery of why the world has gone black-and-white!
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an absolute delight—fun, engrossing, and bursting with creativity!
Lena Raine's fabulous soundtrack also must be commented on, which glistens with life but feels airy and sparse as if to mimic the gaps in color you have to fill over the course of the game. Despite being a pretty "wholesome" game, it doesn't mince words and never presents a simple solution to serious issues. I'm really happy I played Chicory-it's one I truly needed to play, and I hope a lot of people get something out of it too.
Chicory's strengths lie in the myriad heartwarming stories it wants to tell, and the wealth of accessibility options it gives the player in how they want to experience these stories. A sedate, and, at times, hilarious use of the canvas of gaming.
Chicory: A Colorful tale is an adorable little adventure with clever puzzles, cute writing, characters and hardstyle. The painting mechanics are incredibly well utilized and keep the gameplay constantly fresh while the gripping story keeps you wanting to play more and more. It also has plenty of secrets and items to find that keep the game replayable if you want to continue exploring. These things alone would make a good game, but the intelligent and heartfelt story is what makes it amazing. You learn so much about the characters and yourself while playing Chicory and it teaches such wonderful lessons that are applicable to anyone of any age. The writing and the world work together so perfectly to create an experience that is both fun and cute, while also being deeply profound. It isn’t a grand, sweeping story. It is small, it is personal and it hits incredibly close to home.
From a fantastic story and endearing characters to varied puzzles and a great soundtrack there is just so much to love about Chicory: A Colorful Tale. Its coloring book world leaves everything open for your interpretation, but also doesn't force you to spend any more time with it than what is actually required. I loved every minute I spent with the game and it is easily my favorite game of 2021 so far.
Playing “Chicory” feels like a kind act of self-care in a brutal time. It reminds players to slow down, enjoy the finer things in life, take care of the community, but also, just do you.
As an adventure game, Chicory is quite sincerely up there with the very best of the genre. There's plenty to see and do and a full completion run will probably take you 25-30 hours. The characters and their travails are rich and likeable, the game's sense of humour is generally inspired, and it's all very sweet without being sugary-twee and talking down to the player. It's also an affecting little tearjerker that will definitely strike a chord if you make art, and almost certainly will even if you don't – so long as you're capable of pretty basic empathy. Chicory is simple to play but impressively long and complex, with perfect controls, performance and visuals. Throw yourself into painting the world and you'll be left with a game that's very much your own and speaks to you directly – a beautiful marriage of mechanics, themes and visuals.
Chicory: A Colorful Tale is an ambitious, absorbing, and creative Zelda-style adventure with some meaningful, heartfelt things to say about the creative process, self-doubt, and other big issues. Like its characters, Chicory isn't perfect – its controls can be a bit clunky and maybe its painting tools aren't as versatile as they could be – but it's an easy game to love. Does it fall slightly short of masterpiece status? Perhaps, but it's still very much worth adding to your art collection.
An indie adventure with the confidence of heavy hitters like Undertale, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is one hell of a pleasant surprise that excels on every level it is possible to do so. Would it be too hackneyed to say it belongs in an art gallery?
Greg Lobanov has produced a game that has it all. It's a truly heartwarming story with unique gameplay, clever puzzles and a colourful cast of characters in a gorgeous world that never feels limited by its retro-inspired, two-dimensional roots.